T5 muppetry continues

**PAH** · 31 March 2008, 13:05

I bet the other airlines are thanking their lucky stars that BA got exclusivity of the terminal. Wouldn't suprise me if they also put a few of their best piss-takers into the terminal as moles to stir it up a bit.

**TheFaQQer** · 31 March 2008, 13:31

My bmi flight on Friday and again today were both on time.

I think they are pulling out the stops to look good, so thanks to BA for that!

**Dow Jones** · 31 March 2008, 15:01

How hard can it be?

Having done a lot of travelling in Europe/US/etc, I am amazed by how only BA were caught in this. Where is the BAA CEO or any spokesmen indeed? This is entirely their doing. Just to think that in places as far away as Hong Kong and Athens, entire airports (not just terminals) were dismantled and were migrated 10-20 miles away overnight and without a hitch! Just wait till 2012 for the mother of all fiascos to take place!

**Tensai** · 31 March 2008, 15:49

From a project management perspective, it looks like they went for, effectively, a big bang implementation.

Now, call me a big scaredy cat, but Big Bangs usually end up as a CF to some extent. With something as hyped as T5 was, surely they would have been better doing this gradually?

No glory in that though....

**TheFaQQer** · 31 March 2008, 15:51

Originally posted by Tensai View Post

From a project management perspective, it looks like they went for, effectively, a big bang implementation.

Now, call me a big scaredy cat, but Big Bangs usually end up as a CF to some extent. With something as hyped as T5 was, surely they would have been better doing this gradually?

No glory in that though....

Not quite a big bang - they haven't moved a lot of flights over there yet. They are still flying out of all the other terminals as well at the moment - next month they move everything over there.

I think that it's more down to heavily unionized baggage handlers having to work with a new system, and not liking it.

**Tensai** · 31 March 2008, 15:58

Originally posted by TheFaQQer View Post

Not quite a big bang - they haven't moved a lot of flights over there yet. They are still flying out of all the other terminals as well at the moment - next month they move everything over there.

I think that it's more down to heavily unionized baggage handlers having to work with a new system, and not liking it.

Point taken. I guess maybe they migrated more than was strictly necessary to gently ramp up the new systems.

And couldn't they have predicted the unionised staff chucking the odd wrench in the works?

20-20 hindsight is a wonderful thing.

**AtW** · 31 March 2008, 16:19

Originally posted by Tensai View Post

From a project management perspective, it looks like they went for, effectively, a big bang implementation.

I think their biggest mistake was to move too many flights on day 1 - if they just moved 10-15 then any throughput problems would not have lead to collapse as it happened.

**TheFaQQer** · 31 March 2008, 16:28

Originally posted by AtW View Post

I think their biggest mistake was to move too many flights on day 1 - if they just moved 10-15 then any throughput problems would not have lead to collapse as it happened.

The system fell over because the baggage handlers were too slow unloading the bags, so the conveyer belt stopped, so they had problems with check-in.

Starting slowly and ramping up means that the problems will just occur later, after all the hype about how smoothly it all works.

**AtW** · 31 March 2008, 16:30

Originally posted by TheFaQQer View Post

Starting slowly and ramping up means that the problems will just occur later, after all the hype about how smoothly it all works.

Yes, the problem will occur LATER (not on the launch day), and also the scale of problems will be gradual - you'd have to cancel 1-2 flights, but not 15-20.

T5 muppetry continues